These savory waffles with scallions, fried eggs will perk up your next brunch

Addie Broyles, Austin American-Statesman

Thursday

May 23, 2019 at 2:45 PM

You’ve heard of antihistamines, but have you heard of an low-histimine diet?

Dietitian Leslie Langevin had no idea her body could develop an allergy to everyday foods she was used to enjoying until a glass of red wine sent her to the ER for anaphylactic shock. Not long after that, she had a similar reaction to a turkey burger with cheese and barbecue sauce and knew that she wasn’t going to be able to ignore her new dietary issues.

Because Langevin already worked in food, she was able to determine that she needed to eat low-histimine foods, or foods that aren’t as likely to trigger her body’s natural anti-inflammatory response. Over the following year, she connected with other people who have similar inflammation-related health issues, from IBS and Celiac to rheumatoid arthritis and interstitial cystitis, and started developing recipes that were low in acid, dairy and other ingredients that have been linked to inflammation and irritation in the body.

The cookbook, “The Anti-Inflammatory Kitchen Cookbook: More Than 100 Healing, Low-Histamine, Gluten-Free Recipes” (Sterling Epicure, $24.95), is appealing even if you aren’t eating a low-histamine or anti-inflammatory diet, and she makes a compelling case that we could all cut back on the refined sugars and gluten.

Cornmeal Waffle Egg Sandwiches

These delightfully savory breakfast sandwiches are a mash-up of fried eggs and waffles with syrup. Choose omega-3-fortified eggs or organic eggs to boost your omega-3 levels, which can reduce inflammation. Using half olive oil and half butter allows the rich taste of butter to shine in the finished dish but with less saturated fat. The scallions add antioxidants and a nice bright taste to balance the earthiness of the waffles. Corn flour is finely ground cornmeal, and it’s available in the baking aisle.

Prepare the hot waffle iron with olive oil spray and pour roughly a third of the batter onto the iron. Close the iron and cook until the built-in timer indicates that the waffle is ready or that the outsides have browned. Set aside or keep warm in a 200-degree oven.

In a skillet over medium heat, heat the remaining oil and fry the desired number of eggs, cooking them until they are somewhere between runny and hard yolks.

Place a fried egg each atop a waffle quarter, then top with a second waffle quarter. Drizzle with maple syrup, if desired, and garnish with scallions. Serves 6 or more, depending on how many fried eggs you want to make to go with the waffles.

All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour Blend

This flour blend works well in most baked foods. The secret is xanthan gum (or the ground chia seeds) which helps the gluten-free flours stick together. It acts like gluten does in wheat flour, and you can use it in a 1:1 ratio to replace standard all-purpose flour. Mix up a big batch and keep it on hand to use on all kinds of recipes. You can substitute 3 tablespoons of ground chia seeds for the 3 teaspoons of xanthan gum.

1 cup of brown rice flour

1 cup of white rice flour

3 cups of tapioca starch

3 teaspoons of xanthan gum

Combine ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight container or resalable plastic bags for up to 1 month.